All in the Presbyterian Family: Baptism

Here's a picture of our baby Annie who was baptised today. She is wearing a christening gown that is a family heirloom. The baptism quilt she is wrapped in is the one that I gave her and is fully pictured on the right. The Ministers of the Cloth (quilting group at my church) make quilts like this for each baby baptised at our church. The square at the bottom right is embroidered with her name, the name of the church where she was baptised and the date of the baptism. The quilt has a sleeve on the back so it can be hung on a rod and displayed, if the parents choose. Most of them do!

The church where she was baptised has a special tradition. The parents choose a verse from scripture to share with the congregation during the baptism. Annie's mother chose Ephesians 2:5--the same scripture that I use for this blog. El Jefe was the elder assisting at the baptism and even got to sign her baptismal certificate of the church. Although we are not members of this Presbyterian church, he can do this because of the connectional nature of the PCUSA. That was a very special moment for all of us!

Another reminder of this connectionalism came during the service when the church installed a new associate pastor to serve the congregation. All ordained as elders or ministers in the PCUSA were asked to come forward for the laying on of hands, so El Jefe and I got to join in.

There was a very scary moment when a woman participating in the installation fainted as she tried to read the charge to the congregation. After several folks rushed to her side, the senior pastor led the congregation in prayer for her. In a few minutes she walked away, supported by two other people, and the EMS arrived to check her out. I don't know what the cause of her fainting spell was, but I pray that it wasn't serious and that she recovers quickly. We were very impressed with the way the senior pastor and the congregation handled the situation.

Those of you who read this and are not in Texas today: I wish I could send you our gorgeous weather. It is in the 50's, very sunny and not a cloud in the sky. What a beautiful day for a baptism! This was a day that the Lord made--we rejoice and are glad in it.